


Can I Come Home Now?

by Garicole



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Comforting Iwaizumi Hajime, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Figuring out the future, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Insecure Oikawa Tooru, M/M, Naked Cuddling, Post-Haikyuu!! Chapter 402: Final Chapter: Challengers, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:20:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26451007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Garicole/pseuds/Garicole
Summary: Tooru just won an Olympic gold medal and Hajime can't wait to see him. But before they can celebrate, Tooru voices some insecurities. He wonders, has he earned the right to come home? To Hajime?Cue comfort, kisses, naked cuddles, naked giggles, and Hajime deciding he's not going to live countries away from Tooru anymore. Plus some Kuroo, Bokuto, and Oikawa friendship.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou
Comments: 26
Kudos: 652





	1. Chapter 1

Hajime’s cheeks hurt from smiling so hard. Argentina just won gold. _Oikawa_ just won gold. His boyfriend is bombarded with his cheering, Argentinian teammates. Their shouts of joy echo through the Olympic gymnasium and Hajime decides it is one of his favorite sounds. His smile mirrors Tooru’s as the other lines up with his teammates to receive a gold medal for his victory. 

His boyfriend ducks his head slightly to make it easier for the young boy to lay the medal around his neck.His hair is damp with sweat and Hajime can see his broad chest heaving as he tries to take deep breaths, clearly exhausted from all those sets.

As Tooru’s head comes back up, held high, shoulders squared, and gold glinting proudly across his chest, Hajime watches his brown eyes search the packed stands before landing on Hajime, in the same spot he’s been in for all of Tooru’s matches. He’s had the time since the Japan National Team had lost to Tooru’s just a few days before and watching Tooru play volleyball is something he never tires of. It had been so long since he could just watch his boyfriend play a match in person. It was invigorating.

“Yahoo! Iwa-chan!”

Tooru’s yell is faint. It barely reaches him across the cheers already echoing throughout the gym, but Hajime, so attuned with Tooru, hears him just fine. And that’s when his tears finally brim over and slip down his cheeks in full force. Seeing his stupid, brilliant, joyful boyfriend grab the gold medal around his neck, shake it in the air at him, as if Hajime could possible miss it, makes him clap harder, laughs bubbling from his throat as he cheers.

Next to Hajime, Hinata Shouyou jumps up in down in excitement and grabs his arm, shaking it and screeching, “Iwaizumi-san! You should run up there and give him a big kiss! A victory kiss! An Olympic victory kiss for the Grand King!”

On Hinata’s other side, Kageyama snorts. “Stupid Hinata. That would get him kicked out. Spectators aren’t allowed on the court, dumbass.”

Hinata and Kageyama are the only two members of the Japanese national team that had front row seats with him. Their other teammates were probably scattered around the stands, but Hajime and Hinata had wanted to watch Oikawa up close, and of course Kageyama had followed Hinata.

Hajime vaguely remembers that Bokuto was supposed to come to.He’d called him this morning, only to be startled when Bokuto’s phone was answered very abruptly by a grumpy Akaashi, who Hajime had met only once. “Bokuto-san is busy at the moment, is it an emergency?” Hajime had heard sheets rustling in the background and a very faint, “Keiji, come baaaack.”

Needless to say, Bokuto didn’t make it and Hajime didn’t stay on the phone long enough to find out exactly why, although he had his suspicions.

Hajime snorts wetly at his two friends, arguing beside him. Kageyama hands him a tissue.

“Sorry Hinata-” Hajime says as he wipes his nose, “-bad idea. Besides, Tooru deserves to spend some time celebrating with his team right now.”

“Iwaizumi-san, I think Oikawa-san would be the first to say that you are definitely part of his team,” Kageyama says. He says it so thoughtfully that it Hajime startles a little bit. Sometimes it’s hard to reconcile this Kageyama with the little middle schooler he met all those years ago.

“Maybe,” Hajime agrees, “but still, I’ll wait for him. This is his victory. He deserves the spotlight right now. After all this time it’s finally his.”

He watches the Argentinian team file out of the gym slowly, all members still waving to fans and family and friends as they leave the stage of their victory. Tooru’s blazing eyes are locked on Hajime’s the whole time, until he bumps into the door frame as he’s exiting and ducks out of the gym with his teammates laughing at him.

Hajime wants to scoop him up in his arms, carry him back to the Olympic Village, and spend the rest of the day monopolizing Tooru’s time.However, he knows that Tooru should be celebrating his victory with the people he’s earned it with. He doesn’t want to intrude. Hajime knows perfectly well how much the high of winning brings you closer to a team. _I miss it_ , he thinks, _but I don’t want to take that feeling from Tooru_.

So he follows Kageyama and Hinata out of the gym in a bit of a daze.The two boys are arguing again. The normalcy of it calms Hajime a little bit.

“Iwaizumi-san, do you think Oikawa-san will let me hold his gold medal? I want to feel what it’s like! An Olympic gold medal!” Hinata turns around in front of him as he asks, walking backwards and almost tripping into Kageyama.

“First and last time you ever hold gold, Hinata,” the other boy snorts.

“Kageyama _dumbass_! You just insulted yourself! We’re on the same team! If I don’t win, you don’t win!”

“Alright you two. Hinata, I’m sure Oikawa will let you hold his med-“

Hajime is interrupted with a buzz from his phone and is surprised to see it’s a text from Tooru.

_From Tooru: Iwa-chan! Can I come over later? Right now I’m getting some food with the team, but after?_

Hajime smiles and types: _Of course, have fun._

After a few seconds he quickly types and sends a follow up text before he can change his mind: _I love you and I’m so proud of you._

He knows it’s sappy and unexpectedly soft of him. But Tooru deserves to hear it.

He can see the dots indicating Tooru is tapping out a reply.

_From Tooru: Bad Iwa-chan! You’re going to make me start crying all over again! But I love you too. See you later!!!!!!_

Outside the gym, Hajime bids goodbye to Hinata and Kageyama. He gets a few steps, before whirling around and saying pointedly, “And stay off the court, dumbasses. Rest your bodies right now. If you take even one step inside a volleyball court, I will know and I will find you.”

Hinata lets out a loud yelp and says, “And kill us!?”

Kageyama elbows Hinata and says, “Stop that.” And then, lowering his voice, “See? I told you he could be scary.”

“I would expect nothing less than the Right Hand of the Grand King!” Hinata whispers back.

Hajime leaves them to it.

_______________

In his room he plays on his phone. Or tries to. He can’t focus. His thoughts keep drifting back to his boyfriend. 

He lays back on his bed back in the Olympic Village.Although it’s much more reminiscent of Hajime’s old California dorm room than a “village.” The room is small and high up on the 6th floor, with light green walls and a surprisingly comfy bed. He has a balcony that looks over a courtyard surrounded by other dorm-style buildings. A temporary home for various Olympic teams and their supporting staff.

He stops scrolling through his social media apps, once again getting distracted with thoughts of Tooru.He ends up opening their chain of text messages from the last few weeks. The back and forth makes him tilt a small half-smile. He scrolls back and sees a message Tooru had sent over a week ago, when he was still in Argentina.

_From Tooru: Iwa-chaaaaan! Are you going to pick me up from the airport tomorrow? I want to see how much you’ve grown and pinch your chubby cheeks!_

_You: Just for that comment, no. Not anymore._

_From Tooru: But like, what if I gave you 400 yen…_

_You: Wow. 400 whole yen? In this economy…done. Send me your itinerary._

_From Tooru: I already did! I sent it an hour ago._

_You: Oh my god, you can’t just assume things._

_From Tooru: We both know you’d never leave me stranded at the airport. Love you! Also, I found an extra 100 yen for you under my butt in the airplane seat!_

_You: Keep your airplane butt money…_

They’d both been so excited to reunite again that day, he remembers fondly. It had been over a month since they last saw each other. In college, he didn’t appreciate those long American Summer holidays enough. There were a few years where he spent most of June, July, and August in Argentina.

Hajime scrolls down to another batch of texts sent the night before the Argentina vs. Japan match.

_From Tooru: If we win, Iwa-chan has to wear those sexy panties again. The ones that Makki got us last year._

_You: No. Never again._

_You: And you won’t win. When Japan wins you’re gonna have to legally change your name to “Shittykawa.” I want to see that on the back of your jersey._

_From Tooru: Iwa-chan, such a brute! How about if I win, I’ll suck your dick._

_You: Why are all your things sex-related!?! Get your mind out of the gutter you pervert._

_From Tooru: because I missssssss you Iwa-chan! I miss you and your big, sexy muscles!_

Oikawa had sent a stream of heart eye and eggplant emojis before sending a follow up text.

_From Tooru: I wish you could’ve spent the night again. Stupid mother hen coach. Stupid curfew. Stupid “no visitors” rule! Bad coaching methods. If we lose tomorrow, it’s his fault. He deprived me of my Iwa-chan!_

Hajime huffs a small laugh. The back and forth texts stop at this point. He had called Tooru. Even from a short text, he’d been able to tell that something was bothering his boyfriend. It was rare to see him criticize his coach. Even rarer for him to entertain the thought of losing. What he remembers most from the late night phone call was Tooru asking, over and over again, “what if we lose? What if I lose to Ushiwaka and Tobio-chan again? What if I make us lose? Iwa-chan, what if it’s my fault?” 

Hajime runs his fingers through his hair, trying to ease out the residual stress of that phone call. He’d been ready to sneak out and climb up the balcony to Tooru’s Olympic Village room, uncaring that it was seven floors above him. It would have been just like when they were kids, when Hajime would sneak out to climb through the window of Tooru’s childhood bedroom.

But Tooru had heard him rustling around in his own bed, _damn him_ , and persuaded Hajime not to come. “You need your beauty sleep too, Iwa-chan!”

Hajime had talked to him quietly after that, until gentle, even breaths indicated Tooru had fallen asleep.

Hajime puts his phone on the bedside table. He doesn’t want to think about a sad Tooru. It’s a good day. A day to celebrate. And he can’t wait until Tooru comes back to him. Hopefully it’s sooner, rather than later.

Glancing at the clock he sees he’s only been back in his room for about 15 minutes. Tooru will still be awhile. Sighing, he looks up and tries to distract himself by staring at the ceiling.

It doesn’t work.

_______________

The bed shifting next to Hajime is what finally wakes him. He hums and blindly reaches out towards the comforting scent of Tooru’s ridiculously expensive shampoo.

His boyfriend shifts closer on the bed before settling his head on Hajime’s chest. Hajime lets his arm fall over Tooru’s waist, drowsily pulling him closer. 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you,” he whispers. He can tell Tooru is looking up at him from the way his breath tickles his chin. 

“It’s fine,” he mumbles, finally opening his eyes and dropping a sleepy kiss to his boyfriend’s head. “I actually wanted to be awake and welcome you in here with a big congratulatory hug, but, uh, I guess I fell asleep by accident. Sorry about that.”

“Iwa-chan, I’ve had enough congratulatory hugs in the last 4 hours to last me a lifetime. Now I just want congratulatory cuddles with my sleepy boyfriend. I’m exhausted.” He smooths his hand over Hajime’s waist. “Although, I wouldn’t say no to a congratulatory kiss?”

“I can probably do that,” Hajime says as he rubs at his eyes. Then he rolls onto his side and pulls Tooru impossibly closer, wrapping his other arm around him and squashing Tooru’s face up into his chest before raining loud, smacking kisses onto the top of his head. 

“Noooooo, Iwa-chan! You’re going to kill me with your brutish strength!” Tooru’s voice is muffled from where is face is pressed into Hajime. 

“Well I guess I shouldn’t murder the victor on the day of his big win, right?” He looks down at Tooru fondly and loosens his grip, now fully awake. He settles onto his back, Tooru completely on top of him and those stupidly long legs hanging partly off the bed.

Tooru props his chin on his arms and gazes up at Hajime. “It doesn’t feel real. I keep expecting to wake up back in Argentina, thinking there are still so many miles to go before I can finally be enough.” 

Tooru reaches out, plucks something off the nightstand, and settles back down against Hajime. He has a brightly colored ribbon hanging loosely from his fist. His gold medal dangles at the end of it. 

They both watch it swinging back and forth hypnotically between their faces.

“It’s real, there’s physical proof of it right there.” Hajime reaches out and runs his finger down the side of the gold medal, before resting it on top of Tooru’s hand, still clutching the symbol of his victory. 

Tooru pulls his eyes away from the gold when Hajime gently guides Tooru’s hand down so that the medal sits on his chest, between their faces, with Tooru’s warm hand resting on top of it.

“And you’ve always been enough. There’s never been a single day where I have wanted more from you. I’ve wanted more _for_ you, but I’ve never needed you to-to become something more for me,” he says, looking directly into Tooru’s eyes. 

His boyfriend looks away with a pout and pursed lips saying, “Iwa-chan is much more forward these days than when we were kids.” 

He smirks. “Thanks. It comes from years of experience managing literal man-children. Yourself included.”

“Rude,” Tooru huffs. His eyes shift between the gold medal resting underneath his palm and Hajime’s own green eyes. He takes in a breath to start talking but then stops. He wets his lips and shifts his body nervously on top of Hajime’s. 

“Tooru?”

“I just- I just wanted to tell- No to ask you-“ He stops again and pulls away from Hajime with an annoyed huff. 

He’s muttering to himself now, but it’s low enough that Hajime can’t hear what he’s saying. The lazy, soft, golden feeling from earlier starts to bleed away as Tooru pulls back to sit on the side of the bed, both feet on the ground and one leg bouncing nervously. He’s framed in the sunlight that streams in from the glass doors that lead to the balcony. It highlights the way his shoulders are hunched and tensed. 

Hajime sits up now too, watching Tooru as he nervously fiddles with the gold medal in his hands. Those long, practiced fingers push and knead at the surface, like he's trying to push all his stress into that tiny piece of gold. Hajime rests his hand on a tense shoulder and squeezes, just waiting for him to start talking. Tooru’s shoulders start to tremble after a moment and he discards the medal on the bed next to him in favor of leaning his forehead into both hands. 

The only sound is a distant siren and a song playing in a language Hajime doesn’t recognize, coming from several floors below. 

_Fuck it_ , Hajime thinks, and grabs Tooru's hands. He pulls them gently away from his face and brings them up to his mouth to lay gentle kisses on the knuckles. Tooru lets him, but doesn’t take his eyes from where they are trained on the floor. 

Hajime leans over so that he can finally see up into his boyfriend’s face. Tooru’s eyes are dry, but his jaw is clenched. 

Hajime says, ”Tooru, Love, Sweetheart. What are you thinking right now?”

Tooru's eyes connect with his, but dart back to the floor, avoiding Hajime’s gaze. He still keeps their hands connected. 

He takes another breath to speak. Hajime can hear it hitch in his throat. 

"Iwa-chan, today was amazing,” Tooru finally says. “I-I felt like I was on top of the world. I felt like I was…like I was born to be out there. I loved it. I haven't felt like that in so long.” He shifts minutely closer to Hajime and pauses for a moment to wet his lips. “It was so good. It was so…so reassuring…But something was missing.”

He’s looking at Hajime now. His eyes are full of questions. But Hajime doesn’t know the answer.

He prompts him to continue by saying, “Missing?”

“Well, not missing exactly, but after the high of winning, of celebrating with the team, after that died down, I realized what I wanted more than winning, was,” -he sniffles- “was to be able to look forward to coming back to you."

"Tooru," Hajime starts, still confused. “But you have that. I'm right here. You _absolutely_ can come back to me at the end of the day. Did you think I would say that you couldn’t come back here? There is literally no circumstance in which I would turn you away from my front door, or in this case, hotel room.”

Tooru shakes his head angrily and Hajime can see tears threatening to spill over his pale cheeks.

"No, Iwa-chan. I could do that _today_. Wh-what I want is to come back to you everyday. I want to come home to you everyday. I've missed that so much, you have no idea. Talking on the phone and video chatting isn’t enough anymore. It never really was. I just, I just m-miss you. You’re my partner and I can’t even be with you! It’s killing me a little bit more everyday, knowing that you’re out there, living your life and I’m just _missing_ so much of it. You’ve grown so much and you’re so amazing and wonderful and I haven’t been there for any of it and I just-“ Tooru pauses, sniffling wetly and shoulders heavy with grief. 

“I just want to be with you like when we were kids,” he whispers. His fingers twitch in Hajime's own, but he still doesn't pull away and Hajime holds them tighter, desperately wanting to reassure his boyfriend, but also knowing he needs to let him finish saying what’s on his chest. 

“I just want to be with you like when we were kids,” he repeats softly. “I guess, what I'm really asking is, is, um, Iwa-chan, can…can I," Tooru takes a deep breath and stares directly into Hajime’s eyes. 

"Can I come home now?”

It takes Hajime a moment to process the question. 

"Come... home?" He tilts his head in confusion, a habit he knows he picked up from Tooru, who is still looking straight at him. Why would Tooru ask to come home? Why would he need permission? Why would he need _Hajime's_ permiss-

It feels like an icy stone drops into his stomach. 

"Is that what you think?” Hajime asks, his eyes wide and worried. 

“Tooru,” he presses on hurriedly, “Did you think you had to prove something before you could come back to Japan? Prove what? That you are enough? To who? Me?" 

Tooru looks to the side, avoiding his eyes again. Hajime pulls his hands from Tooru’s so that he can cradle his boyfriend’s wet face and pull it towards him, pushing away tears with his thumbs, even as more spill over. 

"Tooru, please please _please_ listen. To me, you've always been so much more than enough. You’re a wonderful, talented player and the best partner in the world. You’re the partner I can boast about.” Hajime pushes away more of Tooru’s tears and whispers, “You must know that. Please look at me. Tell me you know that."

Hajime's own eyes are tearing up. How long has Tooru felt like this? Since college? _High school? Did he feel like this at Kitagawa Daiichi?_

Tooru sniffs wetly. Hajime can feel tears hit the back of his hand.

"Hajime, don't, please. Don't act like I haven't always been average. I’ve always been a candle while everyone around me was a bonfire. No one-no one ever _noticed_ me!" Tooru heaves a deep breath before plunging on. "Everyone in Japan was just so good! Everyone except for me. I had to be better. And-and the only way to get better, to be good enough, was to leave. Everyone- Ushiwaka, Tobio-chan -they all proved their worth when they kids. I didn’t get to have that! But now, Hajime, now I-I should be good enough, right? I-I beat all of them. My team, we won!”

He’s shaking now. “What more do you want from me?” he gasps out through heartbreaking sobs. 

Hajime doesn’t know what to do with himself. He pulls his hands shakily from Tooru’s and clenches them into fists. He squeezes as hard as he can, then stretches his fingers. He does it again. His nails leave little crescents in the middle of his palm. He can’t think. His thoughts are moving too rapidly. 

_No, there's no way I missed this. We've been dating for years now. How could he hide this from me? We spoke every day, surely I would have caught on! Sure, we’ve always needed to work on his self-esteem, but to think he was just-just straight up banishing himself from the country? There’s no way-_

"Iwa-chan?" Tooru says his name so softly, so nervously. Hajime loves him so much.

"I'm sorry, Iwa-chan. It was a stupid question. Let's j-just go celebrate, o-okay?”

"Tooru," Hajime whispers, trying to pour as much love and feeling into that one word as he could.

His boyfriend’s brown eyes widen just a fraction, tears still dripping down his face.

"Tooru," Hajime repeats, still processing exactly what he wants to say. “In-In another world, well, another reality I suppose, you and I, we still exist, right?” He wets his lips. “And, and in that reality or one of the thousands of others, there’s one where neither of us ever picks up a volleyball. Maybe we both end up working at a convenience store. Or maybe we end up with some really terrible jobs that I can't think of right now because at the moment I am very focused on you and I'm having a hard time thinking of other things.”

Tooru snorts wetly, before grimacing and wiping at his sticky nose with his shirt. Once he settles, Hajime continues again. 

"In that world, the one where we never played volleyball, I love you just as much as I love you in this world. Tooru, I love you and that isn’t conditional on your wins or losses. And it is definitely not an indicator of your worth. I would have gladly welcomed you home even if you changed your mind after a year in Argentina and decided you wanted to be something stupid, like a flat earth advocate or a professional alien cosplayer.”

Tooru huffs another wet laugh that sounds more like a sob before letting Hajime continue.

“I’ve only ever wanted Oikawa Tooru, the person I’ve spent my whole life next to. I've never needed you to be Oikawa Tooru, best setter or captain of the Seijoh volleyball team. Not even Oikawa Tooru, Olympic gold medalist. I've only ever wanted my best friend.”

Hajime swipes at his own slightly wet eyes. He isn't used to being so up front with his emotions and definitely not giving such long-winded speeches.

“Erm, that’s all, I guess. I just…I just want you to know that I love you and I wouldn’t love you any less even if you lost every single volleyball match you’ve ever played.”

Now Hajime’s the nervous one. He rubs at the back of his neck and watches Tooru. Tooru, who just sat there and let Hajime rant at him, whose eyes are wide and locked on Hajime's own.

“Tooru? Please say someth-"

Hajime is cut off as Tooru launches himself straight on top of him. Hajime catches him with a wheeze as Tooru latches his arms around his neck and his legs around his waist and suddenly Hajime is left holding a giant, lanky man-child in his lap.

"Ha-Hajime! I just want to stay by you too! That's all I want." Tooru's babbling now and he buries his tear streaked face in the crook of Hajime's neck. "I knew, I _knew_ , I was being stupid. But I just, I just feel so inadequate sometimes. And when I’m by myself I start thinking all sorts of bad things and I can’t stop. I'm sorry. I just want to be as good for you as you are for me!”

"You've never failed me, Tooru, not once, and you are so so so good,” he growls fervidly into the side of Tooru's head, into the soft brown hair tickling his nose. "I'm so proud of you, of everything you've accomplished, of winning gold, of being strong enough to move to another country. But I’d also be proud of you even if you had stayed in Japan and didn’t do any of that.”

He leaves one arm tucked firmly around Tooru and leans over towards the bedside table to grab a handful of tissues. He hands them over. Tooru untucks himself from Hajime and starts to clean up.

“Maybe Iwa-chan is right. I…I think I left because I had to prove something to myself. I just didn’t want to admit it. I needed to find out if I was actually as good of a setter as I thought I was, that I’d always been _told_ I was. I needed to know that I wasn’t blowing my ability out of proportion because I was so fixated on beating everyone who ever made me feel so…so small, I guess.”

“My dear, sweet, amazing Tooru, you have _never” -_ and he punctuates each following “ever” with a squeeze to Tooru’s thighs- “ _ever ever ever_ been small.” 

Tooru gives him a watery smile. It’s the best thing Hajime has ever seen.

“And, well, if you're serious about coming _home_ , or serious about wanting to put an end to this long-distance nonsense, than I guess that means we can finally work on that shitty self-esteem of yours. When you start getting scared that you’re insignificant, I’ll be there to punch you back into shape.” He plants a kiss to the side of Tooru’s head. “No more long distance, stupid Tooru. It's too easy for you to hide what you’re thinking from me when you're in another country. From now on, I'm keeping you right under my nose where you belong.”

Tooru’s watery smile becomes bigger and his tears finally stop falling. He tucks his head back into the safety of Hajime’s neck.

“But Iwa-chan, what if the president of Argentina says I can't leave because he would be lost without my charming personality! I'm really popular over there you know! The ladies and gentlemen are obsessed with me! They just love my beautiful face and my cute butt!”

Hajime strains his neck up to peer down Tooru’s back. He pats his boyfriend’s butt just to make _absolutely_ sure, before he confirms, “Well, it is a pretty cute butt.”

Tooru’s laugh is muffled by the warm skin of Hajime’s neck. Hajime prepares himself for what he’s about to say next, a little nervous. 

He bites his lip, then says, “And, well, if-if you want to go back to Argentina, that's okay too. If you decide that’s where you belong now, I'm okay with that. But, uh, but I just- I just hope you can handle me staying at your place for a few weeks until I can find my own apartment over there.”He’s very proud of himself for saying all of that without descending into a panic attack. 

Tooru pulls his head back, loosening his arms from Hajime's neck and shock written all over his face. Hajime just grabs his hips and pulls him closer, silently urging Tooru to stay firmly wrapped around him.

"You don't mean that,” Tooru says.

"I do. I love you and I'm done with long distance. So, you see, really that only leaves me with two options. Either we break up or I go where you go. And, um, well, I don't really see breaking up as a viable option. Unless that's something you want, in which case, we should probably talk about that, because I didn’t see that coming? So maybe that would mean I really am just the dumb brute you've been calling me our whole lives and-“

"Iwa-chan shut up."

“Sorry.”

“I love you. There’s no one else I would rather figure this out with.” Tooru cradles Hajime’s cheeks in his hands and rests their foreheads together. With a quick peck to Hajime’s lips, he continues and says, “I once thought winning an Olympic gold medal would be the best thing that ever happened to me. But I was so wrong. The best thing that ever happened to me was when my new spiky-haired, next-door neighbor threw a bug net at my head and said he was going to put worms up my butt unless I got off his ant hill.”

Hajime snorts. "Kid sounds like an asshole."

Tooru shakes his head with a small smile. 

"No," he leans in to rest his head on Hajime's shoulder and gazes up at him with the softest look he’s ever seen. "He was a perfect gentlemen and there’s no one else I would rather spend my life with.”

“Even though he threatened to put worms in your butt?”

“Well, maybe wasn’t very gentlemanly, but he did eventually put _something_ up my butt that I was _totally_ okay with.”

“Oh my God Shittykawa! Why are you like this!” Hajime stands and tosses his gangly boyfriend onto the bed before climbing up and leaning over him to stare straight into his laughing face, still wet with leftover tears, but beaming all the same. 

“No, Iwa-chan! I yield! Don’t tickle me!”

“What makes you think I’m gonna tickle you? Maybe I want you under me on the bed so we can do something else,” he says with a smirk. 

“Oh really? What would that be?” Tooru laughs and loops his arms around Hajime’s neck to pull him down on top of him. 

“I bet you can figure it out.”

Hajime brushes their lips together, savoring the feeling of Tooru’s skin against his, basking in the warmth and knowledge that whatever happens, they will be together. 

After a a few moments of soft, quiet kisses, Tooru licks at Hajime’s lips. He lets out a low moan and allows Tooru to lick into his mouth. The taste of him is achingly familiar. Hajime settles his hands on the other’s waist, fingering the edge of Tooru’s t-shirt, before brushing beneath. His palms warm on Tooru’s bare skin. 

Tooru whines into his mouth and Hajime swallows it up.

He leans back slightly, so that their lips are just barely brushing, and can’t help but whisper “I love you” against the pink curve of Tooru’s mouth. 

With a quick nip to Tooru’s lower lip, Hajime shifts down to his neck and starts working on a love bite. 

“Hajime, I love you too, more than anything,” Tooru manages to whimper between stuttering gasps. He stretches his long neck out to give him more space to work with, more pale skin to mark. 

Hajime feels his boyfriend run his long fingers through his short, spiky hair, scratching at his scalp and then grabbing a fistful. It makes his gut tighten. He starts doubling his efforts to give his boyfriend multiple, possessive marks. He wants to stake his claim on this golden boy who can leave one day and come back to him the next with an Olympic gold medal. 

Tooru groans, “Hajime, shirt off. Now.”

He leans back to help Tooru pull his own shirt over his head. After tossing it to the side, he looks down at boy underneath him, breathing heavily. The skin of his neck blossoms pink with Hajime’s marks and Tooru’s own blush. His chest rises and falls. There’s a faint bite mark around one of his nipples, courtesy of Hajime. A trail of light brown hair leading down underneath his waistband.His shoulders are broader than they were in high school. 

“You’re beautiful,” Hajime says, without thinking. 

Tooru’s flush deepens. Averting his eyes with a pout he says, “Like Iwa-chan doesn’t see the way people look at him when he walks by, like he doesn’t realize that no matter where he goes, he’s the hottest person in the room.”

His words send tingles down Hajime’s spine. 

“Stop talking,” Hajime says, and rips his own shirt off before sealing their mouths back together. They lick at each other. It’s wet and messy and Hajime loves it. Tooru tastes like home and his deep groans are a reminder that this beautiful boy is his future, his past, and his present. 

They break, panting harshly against each other’s mouths. Hajime’s lips tingle. They feel wet. He darts a tongue out and his lips taste like Tooru. Tooru, whose eyes are trained on his mouth, who thumbs over his bottom lip up, smearing the wetness around, and presses the finger against the seam of his lips. Hajime sucks it into his mouth. He curls his tongue around it, licks at the callous on the tip of the finger. 

Tooru’s eyes are trained on where his thumb is disappearing into his boyfriend’s mouth. After a particularly long, harsh suck, Tooru’s pupils dilate, and with a shaky groan he offers up his pointer and prods at the seam of Hajime’s lips. Hajime welcomes it in, moaning around the long fingers pushing at his tongue. 

Hajime threads a hand through his boyfriend’s soft brown hair, pulling slightly, before dragging it down to brush lightly at his pale brown nipples. Tooru shudders slightly, mouth parting and chest lifting up and down with his uneven breaths. 

Hajime wants more, more of the heat, the love, the look in Tooru’s eyes. He wants to imprint it in his memory. He lightly pinches Tooru’s nipple and it earns him a high-pitched whine. Suddenly Tooru’s fingers are wrenched from his mouth and used to push Hajime’s head towards his other nipple. 

Tooru flushes deeper. “Iwa-chan, I _need_ you. Touch me, _please_.”

Hajime sucks the other nipple into his mouth, lips still glistening with spit. Tooru takes the wet fingers Hajime had in his mouth before and softly strokes Hajime’s lips where they are sealed around his chest. 

“So good, Hajime. You’re so good to me,” he groans. 

Hajime pulls away with a quick bite to Tooru’s nipple and then a nip to the tip of his finger that is still close to his mouth. He shifts up on the bed, so that their foreheads are resting together. 

“Tell me what you need, baby,” he breathes heavily against his slick lips. 

Tooru whines again. “I need you. Just you.”

“Where? Here?” He moves to press more bites to that long neck. 

In the back of his mind, Hajime vaguely realizes that the love bites are a bad idea. Not because Tooru doesn’t like them, he _loves_ them, likes to make a show of putting them on display. It’s Hajime who can’t take them. He gets way to turned on whenever he sees the marks he’s placed on his lover. Tooru likes to use that to his advantage. 

However, in the moment, he’s not going to stop himself, not when Tooru is gasping so nicely underneath him. 

“Gotta do everything myself,” he groans and starts pulling at the clasp of Hajime’s belt, ripping it off and tossing it to the side. He unbuttons Hajime’s pants, pushes them down around his thighs, and then-

Hajime freezes, but he doesn’t move quickly enough, isn’t able to _explain_ to the boy beneath him, can’t pull his pants back up before he hears Tooru-

“Oh. My. God.”

He looks up at Hajime, laughter bubbling up from his lips. Hajime looks to the side and pouts. 

“Where did you even get these!?” Tooru’s bright, delighted laugh fills the room. He reaches down to finger the fabric of Hajime’s boxers, taking them in because- 

Because Iwaizumi Hajime is wearing underwear patterned with tiny Argentinian flags. He is also mortified. 

Blushing furiously, Hajime keeps his eyes trained on the wall, refusing eye contact with his absolutely exuberant boyfriend. 

“Ok, I just- I just really wanted to support you during our match, even…even though we were on different sides. So I bought them online.And I mean, obviously I couldn’t _openly_ wear anything in support of Argentina…so…so this is what I decided on?” He ends with a question, as if he still can’t believe he actually went through with that decision. 

“Holy shit, you wore these during the Japan vs. Argentina match!? And then again today!?” Tooru asks gleefully. 

Hajime looks down at his boyfriend, eyebrows knit in mild frustration and still pouting. “I washed them before wearing them again, Stupidkawa. I don’t wear dirty boxers.”

Tooru reaches up and places a hand on Hajime’s warm, pink cheek. “You. Are. Adorable.”

Hajime groans and rolls his eyes. “I’m _not_.”

“You most definitely are.”

“Nope,” and Hajime crosses his arms. 

“Yep,”Tooru replies and pops the “p.” He props himself up on his elbows, taking in his blushing boyfriend.An absolutely manic look crosses his face after a moment and he says, “I can’t wait to tell Mattsun and Makki.”

The look of horror that crosses Hajime’s face only serves to incite more laughter from Tooru. 

“Okay, okay Iwa-chan, I _won’t_ , I swear. Really, I _won’t_. Don’t look at me that, I promise. My lips are sealed…Only if you do something really mean, like if you won’t watch cryptid documentaries with me, okay?” He sits up fully and starts to push Hajime’s pants off his legs completely, letting them fall to the floor.Hajime lets him, still trying to get his embarrassment under control.

Once the pants are on the floor, Tooru tips back onto the bed and drags Hajime down on top of him. He tucks his face into the side of Tooru’s neck.

“Iwa-chan, are you mad at me?”

Hajime huffs, “Of course not.”

“You’re just a little embarrassed?”

“I’m not embarrassed! You’re the embarrassing one,” he mumbles into the side of Tooru’s neck. 

Tooru’s laugh chimes out once again. He looks down fondly at where Hajime’s muffled voice comes from and murmurs, “Iwa-chan makes me laugh.” Then with a sigh that Hajime can hear a smile in, he says, “You make me so happy.”

Hajime responds with a harsh bite at Tooru’s neck. Tooru’s surprised yelp turns into a satisfied hum as Hajime laves over the spot with his tongue. He pushes his hands into the soft, spiky locks, urging Hajime on. 

“You make me happy too, I guess,” he mumbles out, in between nips and sucks to his warm skin. The bruises are flowering quite nicely. 

Tooru closes his eyes with a hum, before lazily saying, “I know. I could tell by the cute undies you were wearing for just me.”

“I hate you so much.”

“Why don’t you help me get rid my these pants and show me _exactly_ how much you hate me?”

Hajime finally pulls back to give Tooru a smirk, the one that makes Tooru squirm underneath his gaze. Hajime feels the blush finally fade from his cheeks, replaced by a different sort of warmth. 

“I don’t know,” he says, still smirking. “Maybe bad boyfriends don’t deserve any attention. Not love. Not hate. You’ve heard that the opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s apathy? Maybe I should just…”

He pauses and leans in towards Tooru’s ear, whispering intimately, “leave…” 

Hajime sucks an ear lobe into his mouth, brushes it with his tongue and then releases it with a tiny “pop,” and even softer, “you…”

He moves back so that his lips are just barely brushing Tooru’s and mouths, “…be.”

The simmering heat in Tooru’s eyes grows to a blazing fire. “Fuckin’ fuck Hajime. Fuck you,” he groans deeply, eyes squeezing shut. “Get these fucking pants off me.”

Hajime grins and starts unbuttoning Tooru’s pants, very much enjoying taking Tooru apart. 

Apparently he’s not moving fast enough for his boyfriend, who bats his hands away impatiently and drags his pants and boxers down in one fell swoop. 

Hajime stares. Tooru is so beautiful. So much pale skin on display, his hard cock leaking, and long limbs spread out on the bed. He wants to sink his teeth into every inch of him. He wants to leave traces of himself on his skin. He wants Tooru moaning and writhing underneath him.

“Geez, Iwa-chan, I know I’m hot, but don’t just stop,” Tooru says smugly. He preens at the attention. He always does. 

Hajime snorts, but doesn’t dispute him. He strips off his own boxers and tosses them at Tooru’s face. 

“You’d be a lot hotter if you could keep your mouth shut, dickwad.”

Tooru balls up the Argentina boxers and serves them right into Hajime’s face. 

“Nice serve,” Hajime says offhandedly, like it’s second nature. 

Tooru’s bursts out laughing and Hajime is soon to follow, collapsing on top of his naked, giggling boyfriend. 

It takes them both a few minutes to catch their breath. Every time Hajime things he’s done, he ends up making eye contact with Tooru and lapses into another fit of laughter. Nudity and arousal goes ignored in favor of cherishing this rare moment where the two of them can just be here together, physically, no longer separated by jobs and futures and distance. 

_Our path were always bound to converge again_ , Hajime realizes.

Giggling like this, with Tooru, it feels like something in his chest is finally released. Suddenly, he’s 17 again and all they’re worrying about is how to defeat Shiratorizawa. He finally feels the last dregs of that odd sense of wrongness, that weird feeling that maybe Tooru had taken a piece of him when their paths diverged, ebb away. Things are right again. They aren’t perfect, but Hajime feels like his foundation, his cornerstone, is finally back where it should be. They can finally start building something. _Together_.

Tooru’s laughter dies down, but his eyes are still bright and crinkled with happiness. Trailing his fingers idly down Hajime’s back, tracing every bump of his spine, he grins and says, “I’m gonna buy you a pair of boxers that say ‘Nice Serve’ on the butt.”

Hajime cracks up again, chest pressed against Tooru’s. Their cocks brush together, both still hard and it feels _good_ , but who cares when he’s got a happy Tooru underneath him and words that hang in the air, promising a future together? No more airport goodbyes looming on the horizon, their next reunion still an unknown, questions flying back and forth and schedules that just don’t quite line up. 

_Sure_ , Hajime thinks, _we’ll have to figure out the details while Tooru is back in Argentina, but it will be with the knowledge that a reunion is coming, wherever that may be. Maybe Japan, maybe Argentina. One last parting, one last reunion._

“Where would you even buy underwear like those, Sillykawa?” he asks with a snort.

Tooru hums thoughtfully. “I think Kuroo knows how to cross-stitch? Maybe I’ll just buy a pair of plain boxers and ask him to cross-stitch ‘Nice Serve’ on the butt for me. I think he’d do it.”

“You barely know Kuroo!”

“Not true! Ever since he reached out to me about helping with him and his boyfriend with that promotional video, we text all the time! He’s so fuckin’ funny. He asked me to start a cult with him. Not quite sure about what yet, but I’ve found out that we’ve got a lot in common. I’ve also found out that maybe, possibly, he might cross-stitch. Gotta confirm real quick.” Tooru reaches for his phone. 

“This is, quite possibly, my worst nightmare.”

“Is Iwa-chan jealous? Don’t worry, no one could ever knock you down from the number one spot in my heart!”

Hajime gives an exaggerated groan and playfully asks, “Can I forbid you from seeing him?”

“Nuh-uh-uh,” Tooru tuts with a self-satisfied grin. “You and I are in a healthy, loving relationship and that means you can’t forbid me from seeing someone.”

Hajime rolls his eyes, “Do you think I can get his boyfriend to forbid _him_ from seeing _you_?”

“Nope! I know for a fact they are in a happy, healthy relationship too and Kenma-senpai would never ruin that.”

“Senpai? Isn’t he younger than you?”

Tooru nods and solemnly says, “Kenma is wiser than both Kuroo and me put together.”

“Can he really be, if he’s dating Kuroo?”

Tooru gasps in shock. “Iwa-chan, no! That’s mean! You know what Kenma would say if he saw us right now?” Tooru rests his hand on Hajime’s bare ass, gives it a squeeze, and rolls his hips up into Hajime’s own. 

“Ew, gro-“ he’s interrupted as Tooru rocks up into him again. They both groan. Hajime continues to grind their hips together. 

In between gasps and pants, Tooru manages out, “Kenma would say….if-if he saw us now….he’d say…Iwa-chan…why are you teasing your sexy boyfriend so….so much. He’d…..he’d say, just fucking get on with it already.”

Hajime loops an arm around his boyfriend’s back and pulls them up, now sitting with Tooru in his lap. 

“Don’t talk about other men when I’m in bed with you,” he growls as he reaches down and grabs both of their cocks in his hand, jacking them off slowly. He arches his back at the sudden, tantalizing friction. 

Tooru lets out a long whine and his hands fly up to Hajime’s hair. He slots their mouths together, pleasured gasps and filthy, wet noises filling the room again. His hips buck against Hajime, who alternates between meeting Tooru’s thrusts and running a thumb over the head of his cock. 

He feels more than hears the hitch in Tooru’s chest and can tell that he’s close. They both are. He swallows one last moan from Tooru, before kissing behind his ear and then sucking wetly at his neck. He drags his hand down to Tooru’s ass, blunt nails raking pink tracks down his back. He nudges a finger between Tooru’s cheeks to gently press a finger against his hole.

Tooru’s head snaps up, gasping Hajime’s name. Hajime continues to pet at his hole and jack them off together. Tooru’s breath hitches again and he’s coming, chanting “Hajime” breathlessly, over and over again. 

The sight of his boyfriend coming, the sound of his moans, and the wet drip of Tooru’s cum on his own cock, has Hajime getting closer and closer. 

He swipes his thumb gently over the head of his cock, playing with the slit.He pulls Tooru close with his other arm until there is barely any room between them. Hajime comes as he grinds into his own cum-streaked hand and the hot space between their bodies.

Tooru latches onto his chest as he comes, peppers it with bites before sucking a nipple into his mouth. Hajime shudders as he spills onto his own hand and Tooru’s soft cock, still trapped between them. His guttural groan has Tooru rising up to eagerly lick back into his mouth, ruthlessly coaxing out more desperate whimpers. Tooru tremors slightly, overstimulated, but manages to gently guide Hajime down from his high as he starts to switch from bold, passionate swipes of his tongue to sweet, lazy licks. 

In a daze, Hajime falls to the bed and lets Tooru slump on top of him. They make out languidly and try catch their breaths together. But after a minute Tooru starts to wriggle on top of him, pulling away. Before he can get too far, Hajime starts pressing wet, open-mouthed kisses to Tooru’s shoulder, following a faint trail of freckles left there by the sun.

“Stay,” he whispers against the soft skin. 

Tooru runs his index finger around the shell of Hajime’s ear, watching him bathe his collarbone and neck with more kisses. 

“I’m just gonna get a towel,” Tooru murmurs, maintaining eye contact even as he pulls away. He gets up and heads towards the bathroom. 

“You suck,” Hajime grumbles to Tooru’s retreating ass, but there’s no bite to it. He’s met with a snort, but his boyfriend doesn’t say anything, so Hajime sighs and calls out, “I’m sorry, I take it back, you don’t suck. Get your ass back in bed and cuddle me, butthead.” 

“Rude, Iwa-chan. That’s no way to treat a lover. I’m rating this sexual encounter 3 out of 10.”

“Three? That’s higher than usual.”

“I’m feeling generous today,” Tooru says, returning with a damp towel.

He runs the soft cloth over Hajime’s stomach and lets him wipe his hands clean before tossing it back towards the bathroom. He settles back in bed and arranges them comfortably together, laying on his side, facing Hajime. Hajime shifts to mirror his position and scoots a little closer to lessen the space left between their bodies. Tooru leans his forehead against his and slings a long leg over his hip. He takes Hajime’s hand in his own, tangling their fingers together and resting their clasped hands on the bed right between their hearts. He rubs his thumb back and forth over Hajime’s knuckles.

“Sappy bastard,” Hajime says with a tired, fond smile. 

“Dickmuncher,” Tooru murmurs back, a tiny smile of his own blossoming on his face. 

Hajime leans forward slightly to place a feather-light kiss on Tooru’s knuckles before touching their foreheads back together.

“Love you,” he tells Tooru. 

“Love you too, Iwa-chan.” 

Tooru looks down at their tangled hands and continues to stroke his thumb reverently across the back of Hajime’s. After a moment, he looks up from beneath his eyelashes, eyes wide with innocence. But the smirk spreading across his face betrays him.

“Can I ruin the moment?” he asks. 

Hajime grins in recognition. “Oh my god, I know what you’re thinking. I was literally just thinking the exact same thing. Say it.”

Tooru’s smirk grows. “That was scarily like the first time you made love to me, way back in high school, in that cozy little gym closet,” he tells him, wiggling his eyebrows. 

Hajime can’t help himself. He lets out a bark of laughter. “I knew it! But also, I fuckin’ hope not, because if so, Kindaichi is about to walk in on us right about now.” He stills a moment and pretends to listen for the sound of footsteps. 

Hearing nothing, Hajime gives an exaggerated sigh of relief and says, “Thank God! Don’t want to traumatize him twice. And by the way, I really don’t think our first time should be called ‘making love.’ I kissed you and you came. Didn’t even get my finger in you.”

“That is NOT how it happened Iwa-chan! Don’t lie about such an important moment in my history! The grand deflowering of Oikawa Tooru.”

Hajime groans, “Please do not call it that. In fact, never use the word ‘deflowering’ again.”

“You’re not the boss of me!” Tooru huffs with devilish grin as he yanks their hands apart. 

He licks one of his fingers and promptly sticks straight in Hajime’s ear. With an ungodly screech of utter betrayal, Hajime jerks back, scrambling off the bed. However, one look at Tooru, shaking with laughter, has Hajime launching himself back on top of his boyfriend, trying to shove a hand in his mouth to shut him up.

“Iwa-chan deflowering me with his meaty manhood!”

“Why are you such a fuckin’ weirdo!?” Hajime wrestles a giggling Tooru down to the bed.

“Hajime corrupting my innocence with his giant wiener!” Tooru gasps out between delighted snickers as Hajime tries to shove a pillow in his mouth. 

“Iwa-chan claiming my virginity with his magnum dong! The one-eyed snake! His teeny-weeny pee-pee! His peeny-weeny!” 

Hajime is laughing too hard to wrestle Tooru down anymore. He collapses on top of him, cracking up and struggling for breath. Tooru’s chest rises and falls rapidly as he too, tries to get a hold of himself. Their peels of laughter fill the small room. 

Hajime can’t remember the last time he laughed this much, felt this light. He runs his hands down to Tooru’s waist, keeping him close, as if he might disappear. He’s still having a hard time believing that, just an hour ago, he thought they had more years of this tedious limbo ahead of them, more years of being together, but not _together_. 

He reverses their positions and starts to draw feather light patterns on Tooru’s waist, then up to his chest and watching intently as his giggles start to fade.

Tooru settles on top of Hajime and hums, eyes closed. “That’s cheating, Iwa-chan.”

“I guess you’ll have to disqualify me then,” he murmurs as he leans up to trail light kisses over Tooru’s face, forehead, eyelids, nose, anywhere, everywhere. 

He ends with a loud, wet smack of a kiss on Tooru’s forehead before maneuvering him to the side, sitting up, and stretching. He feels Tooru’s eyes on the arch of his back and looks down at him with a smirk. His boyfriend pushes himself up so they are sitting next to each other and leans his head on his Hajime’s shoulder. 

They’re both quiet. The setting sun bathes the room in an orange glow. The gold of Tooru’s Olympic medal gleams in the sunlight, glinting from its place on the bedside table. The both stare at it for a moment. 

“What’s next for us, Iwa-chan?” Tooru asks softly. 

“Whatever we want. Whatever you want,” Hajime whispers. 

Tooru takes Hajime’s hand and traces invisible patterns into the palm. 

“I want…I want to come home. I love Argentina. I was welcomed there and they gave me something I never would’ve had if I’d stayed in Japan. But now, now I want to come back home. I want to see you everyday. I want to be able to go see my parents for dinner on weekends and watch Takeru graduate. I want to be around the people who have loved me my whole life. I just…I want _home_.”

“Then let’s make it happen,” Hajime says with a kiss to Tooru’s forehead. 

With a sad smile, he murmurs, “It’s not going to be easy though.” 

“You’re worth any challenge that gets thrown our way.”

Tooru snuggles closer and asks, “Will you remind me that I’m enough?”

“Every day, for as long as it takes. Until you believe it yourself.”

Tooru pulls away and looks at him. His eyes are bright and glassy. 

“Oi! No more tears today, Trashykawa!”

Tooru snorts and says, “These are happy tears, I promise, Iwa-chan.”

“Good,” Hajime says with a firm nod. 

Tooru slumps back onto the bed with a sigh, wiping at his tears in annoyance.

“Sleepy?” Hajime asks. 

Eyes dry, Tooru nods and says, “I hate emotions. They exhaust me. I’m tired after all that.”

Hajime reaches over to ruffle his hair and says, “Quite frankly, I’d be surprised if you weren’t. You-“

There’s a knock at the door and both of their heads whip to look at it. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bokuto and Hinata convince Hajime and Tooru to come out to a bar. Fun times and then even more comfort ensue.

“Ugh, who could that be? Can’t we just be left alone?” Tooru groans, throwing an arm over his face. 

Hajime gives him a quick peck on the forehead before jumping out of bed to grab a pair of pants.

“Just a sec,” he calls out as he grabs a blanket and tosses it over Tooru’s naked body. Tooru grabs his wrist and pulls him down, giving him a deep kiss that leaves Hajime a little flustered. 

“Iwaizumi-san?” The voice at the door belongs to Hinata.

Hajime pulls himself away from his boyfriend with an exasperated frown that leaves Tooru looking very smug. 

“Just a sec, Hinata,” he calls out again. 

“It’s me and Bokuto! Are you coming out with us tonight?”

Hajime finally unlocks the door, opening it just enough that Hinata and Bokuto can see him, but not Tooru over on the bed. The two Olympic players are dressed casually. Hinata in a button down Hawaiian shirt and shorts; Bokuto in jeans and a t-shirt that says “Bouncing Ball Ltd.”

As soon as Bokuto sees Hajime he gives him a huge smile and says, “Hey Iwaizumi! We’re going to that really cool bar again! The one with all the lights! And Kuroo is meeting us there with Kenma and he said to bring you and also to have you bring Oikawa! Do you know what floor the Argentina team is on? This place is huge. Ushijima and I got lost the other day. Oh, and Akaashi is coming tonight! Have you met Akaashi before? I feel like maybe you haven’t. He’s the most amazing person I’ve ever met. You should definitely meet Akaashi!” 

Bokuto, as ever, is full of an energy that can only be eclipsed by the boy slightly bouncing beside him. 

“Are you coming with us, Iwaizumi-san? Were you napping? Did we wake you up?” Hinata asks, trying to see into the room and still bobbing up and down in excitement. 

“Shouyou?” Tooru’s voice interrupts them, and Hajime can hear him rustling around the room behind him. 

“Ah! Iwaizumi! You have a visitor! We shouldn’t interrupt!”Bokuto smacks his forehead with his hand. 

“No, no, it’s fine,” Hajime tells him, waving a hand, while at the same time, Hinata bursts out “Oikawa-san?”

“Tooru’s actually over,” he tells them. “We’re just chilling. He had a long day. He might not want to go out.Lemme ask him.” He turns around, watching as Tooru pulls shorts and a t-shirt on. 

“Iwa-chan! Let Shouyou in! I wanna hug from my Chibi-chan!”

With an exasperated sigh, Hajime lets Hinata finally push into the room and then steps aside to allow Bokuto entry as well. 

“Oikawa-san!” Shouyou yells with a jump in the air. He leaps straight for Tooru, up into his arms, and gives him a warm hug, wrapping his legs around Hajime’s boyfriend. 

Hajime watches them with a faint smile. _Meeting in South America was good for both of them,_ he thinks, _but Tooru especially needed that little bit of home, to remind him what he was working towards._

“Come with us tonight! Also this is Bokuto! Have you met him before?” 

Bokuto grins wide and vigorously shakes Tooru’s hand, undeterred by Shouyou still clinging to him like a monkey. “I’ve heard a lot about you Oikawa! Iwaizumi and Shouyou talk about you all the time!”

Tooru finally sets Hinata back on the floor and slowly tilts his head to look at Hajime, one eyebrow raised and a _very_ sly grin on his face. 

“Oh do they now?” 

“All the time,” Bokuto answers earnestly. Hajime suddenly finds the birds flying by his window very interesting. He starts to whistle when he still feels those brown eyes staring at him. 

“Well, I _am_ exhausted after winning today,” Tooru says with a dramatic sweep, standing there in Hajime’s sweatpants that just barely cling to his narrow hips. “But I suppose if my presence is desired and Iwa-chan wants to go out, we could be persuaded to join you. I would absolutely _love_ to hear all about Iwa-chan and what he tells you about me behind my back.” He says “Iwa-chan” with a possessive lilt and it makes Hajime want to drag Tooru back to bed to continue where they left off earlier. 

Instead, he asks, “Bokuto, Hinata, are you sure you want this asshole pestering you all night?” 

“Of course!” Bokuto yelps. “Kuroo tells me that Oikawa has, uh, a very stimulating personality. Still not sure what he means by that, but I trust my bro.”

“Hear that, Iwa-chan? I’m stimulating! I want to hang out with my newest friend, Bo-kun! And Shouyou’s here. It’s been far too long since I’ve hung out with him.” He throws an arm over both boy’s shoulders before continuing, “And besides, I want to hear from these two what _exactly_ you say about me.”

Hajime was going to protest, really, he was. He knew Tooru was exhausted. He was going to tell his bastard of a boyfriend off for being a little shit, tell him he needed to take better care of himself, but Tooru’s giant smile, while smug, was totally genuine. And there was no way Hajime could withstand all three of the pleading smiles being directed his way. 

He was never able to deny Tooru anything.

He shrugs and says, “Alright Shittykawa, but I’m dragging you back here to sleep the second I see you start yawning.”

Bokuto and Hinata cheer. 

“We’ll meet you there. Shouyou, text me the address, okay?” Tooru says. 

“Ok! See you soon!” 

Both boys bound out the door, Hinata yelling, “We have to go get Tobio now! He said wants to come too!”

Bokuto slams the door on the way out, leaving Hajime in a silent room with a suddenly pouting Tooru. 

“Tobio-chan’s gonna be there.”

“C’mon, he’s a good guy. He’s a downright joy to be around compared to you, babe,” he says with a kiss to Tooru’s cheek. 

He’s not convinced. 

“C’mon, how about this, I promise I won’t hit you if you decide to be an ass and rub your victory in Kageyama’s face, okay?”

Tooru brightens considerably and flashes him one of his gaudy peace signs, saying, “Okay Iwa-chan! You got it!”

_______________

The bar isn’t far, but Hajime calls a car anyway. He’s not about to make Tooru walk after the day he had. 

Tooru gazes out the window of the cab into the night, watching the vibrant lights of Tokyo flash by. Without looking over at Hajime, he reaches over and entangles their fingers, resting their hands on the seat in between them. Hajime just watches him. 

As they hit a red light and the car pulls to a stop, Tooru turns to look at Hajime, who jumps, not expecting to be caught so blatantly watching his boyfriend. Tooru just smiles and says, “Makki texted me yesterday. He wants to get a group together for dinner at his and Mattsun’s apartment sometime next week. He said I could have a plus one, but only if it’s you. He also said that he didn’t bother texting you this time because you never respond.”

“Whoops, yeah, that’s fair,” Hajime says guiltily, scratching the back of his neck. “I see the texts come in, think about responding later and then forget.”

“But you always answer me immediately?” Tooru asks slyly. 

Hajime shrugs, saying, “I get excited when you text me. I want to read it immediately.”

“So honest,” Tooru huffs as his face blushes. 

“Maybe I do it on purpose. I like seeing your face get all red.”

“So it’s because you have an ulterior motive, huh? Not just out of love?”

“Why can’t it be both?” 

“You’re no fair,” Tooru huffs, looking out the window at the glowing lights of the city again. But he tightens his hand on Hajime’s, who just snorts and returns to watching his boyfriend watch the city lights. 

The car starts moving as the light turns green, neon signs and headlights and the soft glows of paper lanterns, reflecting off the windows again. 

“Hey Hajime?” Tooru asks in such an offhand, blasé manner that Hajime is immediately suspicious.

He gives a questioning hum in response. 

“Do you think it’ll be hard to find a professional team to play on here in Japan?”

Hajime starts laughing, startling Tooru. “No you idiot. I expect you’ll have your choice of teams to choose from.”

Tooru just looks at him with a small frown, eyebrows scrunched. He doesn’t quite believe him. 

Hajime just smiles and continues confidently, “Tooru, you’ve got a gold medal under your belt. Everyone saw how you played on the court. Everyone saw your serves. They’re gonna be clamoring to get you to play for them. You’ve always been devastating on the court. The only difference now is that people know your name. Your career isn’t starting over by moving back to Japan.It’s just the next step.”

Hajime reaches over to ruffle Tooru’s hair affectionately, saying, “Besides, between the two of us, we have enough connections to get you where you need to go. You’re a world famous gold medalist and I’m an athletic trainer. We both know quite a lot of important people.”

Tooru still doesn’t seem ready to believe him.

“No one is going to forget about you, Tooru. This victory is just one of many more to come. Japan knows your name now.” He squeezes Tooru’s hand for emphasis before turning to look out his own window, saying offhandedly, “Just watch how tonight goes. You know what happens when you’re surrounded by people who love volleyball just as much as you do. You, like, infect them with excitement or something.”

Under his breath, Hajime grumbles, adding on “it’s like watching your high school fangirls again, all wanting a piece of you. Every. Fucking. Time.”

“I didn’t catch that, Iwa-chan.”

“Nothing. Oh look, we’re here.”

“Don’t ignore me!”

“C’mon Shittykawa, we’re already late because you wouldn’t give me back my shirt.”

“For good reason!” Tooru squawks as he ducks out of the cab, graciously allowing Hajime pay the driver. 

As the cab pulls away, Hajime grabs Tooru’s wrist, pulls him towards the bar, and says, “Let’s go meet your fans.”

_______________

Hajime takes one look at the bar and understands why Bokuto liked it so much. It was decked vibrant lights of every color and the ceiling was strung with fairy lights that faded in and out. At the back of the room, the bar counter had what looked like every sort of alcohol known to mankind lined up in front of a mirror that expanded the wall. The room had a bright pink glow from the lights. 

It was just the kind of place Tooru always dragged him to. 

Inside, Tooru spots Hinata immediately and heads over to where he’s sitting at a long bar table with Kenma, Kuroo, Bokuto, Akaashi, and Kageyama. Of the group, Hajime really only knows Bokuto, Kageyama, and Hinata. He’d met Akaashi, Kenma, and Kuroo only a few times, mainly because of their connections to the members of the Japanese team. However, he liked them well enough. 

Hajime heads to the bar to order drinks for himself and Tooru. 

As he waits, he watches from a distance how easily Tooru melds with the group. He inserts himself so easily into social situations and has a confidence that draws people in. Within minutes he has Bokuto laughing so hard his drink comes out his nose and Kenma cracking a half smile. Kageyama watches Tooru closely, a bit of hero-worship in his eyes that never completely faded away, even after middle school. Akaashi manages to look somehow disgusted and fond at the same time while he hands Bokuto a napkin. Tooru slips a tanned, muscled arm around Kuroo’s shoulders and gestures wildly toward Hinata. Whatever story he’s beguiling them with, it sure is entertaining. 

The bartender gets his attention and slides two drinks towards him. He got himself a beer (“So boring, Iwa-chan!” he hears in his head) and Tooru whiskey. He makes his way up behind the chair at the end of the table that Tooru is sitting in and slides his drink in front of him. 

“Thanks Iwa-chan,” he says brightly. Hajime hums his reply, making no move to sit in the seat they had saved for him. Instead, he opts to set his own drink down next to Tooru’s and stand behind his barstool, wrapping an arm his waist possessively.Tooru sips his drink, leans back on the firm chest behind him, and smiles up at Hajime. 

“Delicious! Iwa-chan knows me so well,” he says. 

Hajime rolls his eyes and mumbles, “obviously,” before greeting everyone else at the table.

Immediately Kuroo launches into a story, involving volleyball, obviously, because none of the men around the table will ever truly be able to shake off their passion for the sport. Couldn’t even if they wanted to. 

“So,” Tooru drawls after Kenma finishes recounting the time Kuroo accidentally hit their neighbor’s cat with a stray spike. Once all eyes are on him, he takes a sip of his drink, looks around at everyone, at friends both new and old, and says “Iwa-chan, should I tell them our news?”

“Sure, if you want to, but it’s really _your_ news.”

On Tooru’s right, Kuroo gasps, “you’re pregnant!”

Kenma, on Kuroo’s other side, punches his boyfriend in the arm. 

“Unfortunately no,” Tooru says with fake disappointment. “But, we _have_ decided to do something big.”

“Yeah?” Kuroo prompts, rubbing at the spot where he was punched. Kenma leans forward to peak around his boyfriend, a straw in his mouth as he takes a long sip from his drink.

Hinata, seated straight across from Tooru, tilts his head to the side curiously. “Something big? Oikawa-san, you’re not quitting volleyball are you!? You can’t! We still need to play on a team together!”

Next to Hinata, Kageyama’s widen. He looks horrified. He leans forward in his chair and slams his palms down on the table, making it shake. “Oikawa-san, you can’t quit volleyball yet! I still have so much to learn from watching you! I still need to beat you!”

Hajime feels Tooru’s spine stiffen in shock from where they are still pressed together. However, in an instant composes himself. He relaxes, shoulders slouching down, the picture of comfort. He _presents_ himself, like he’s a specimen under a microscope. 

“Ah, my sweet little Tobio-chan, let’s not worry about who beat who!” Tooru says, with an an indifferent wave of his hand. He then looks to the side and mutters, “Even though my team beat yours.”

Hajime swats him on the shoulder. Tooru whirls around to look up at him, betrayal all over his face.

“Ouch! Iwa-chan, you _promised_ you wouldn’t hit me!”

“It was a love tap,” Hajime replies. 

With a huff, Tooru turns back to look at everyone else and says, “Anyway! I’m not quitting volleyball. I’m moving back to Japan!”

“Hey that’s awesome!” Bokuto says with a big smile, red cheeks, and sip to Akaashi’s drink. He’d already gulped down his own. 

“Fuckin’ sweet dude!” Kuroo says with a slap to Tooru’s shoulder. “And perfect timing too! Bo and I need a third person. See, there’s this thing we wanna do. Kenma says it’s too dangerous, but with another dude it’ll go totally smooth…I mean, I know you love cats, how could you not, but, like, how much experience do you have handling dangerous birds?“

“Kuroo, no,” say Akaashi and Kenma at the same time. 

“Kuroo yes!” Bokuto cheers, punching a fist in the air. 

Kuroo reaches over the table and slaps Bokuto on the arm with a huge grin. “You’ve always got my back, bro! And now that we’ve got Oikawa, finally our dream of starting a cat and owl cafe will become a reality!”

Tooru jerks back in surprise. He looks at Kuroo, startled, eyebrows raised high and Hajime thinks that maybe his boyfriend isn’t as insane as he’s always thought he was. But Tooru immediately dashes his hopes into the ground as he excitedly yelps, “That’s genius! I’d love to help! Do you think the cats and the owls will attack each other or will they be, like, best friends?”

“Friends for sure,” Bokuto says confidently. Next to him, Akaashi seems to be having a wide-eyed staring contest with the table. Hajime thinks he’s definitely winning. 

Tooru shifts, grabbing Hajime’s attention, and says “But I think Iwa-chan might be on the ‘no’ side of that idea, so I’ll probably have to pass.” He lifts a questioning eyebrow at Hajime.

“Actually, I’m kind of intrigued. It’s the kind of thing that you know will _definitely_ end in a trip to the hospital. But you really want it to work. So in the end you kinda hope that will be enough. Gotta speak it into existence and all that, ya know. It’ll still fail though,” Hajime says with a shrug. 

Kuroo and Bokuto cheer and high five Iwaizumi, then each other. 

“Ha! That’s four to two, Akaashi! We win!” Kuroo says with a swig of his drink. He slams it down and says to Tooru, “This is gonna be the coolest fuckin’ cafe ever.” But he’s watching Kenma out of the corner of his eye, wearing a smirk he’s not even trying to hide from his boyfriend. Kenma shoots him a disgusted look. Kuroo’s smirk grows. 

There’s a brief pause as Bokuto and Tooru raise their glasses with Kuroo, all distracted with celebration. While they clink their drinks together and talk animatedly, Hajime sees one of Kenma’s legs jerk up underneath the table, whacking into something. With a start, Akaashi lets out a surprised “oof.” He snaps out of his staring contest with the table. Hajime almost laughs out loud when he looks up at Kenma indignantly.

“Do something,” Kenma mouths.

Akaashi scowls and and shrugs his shoulders. Iwaizumi is sure he mouths back “ _You_ do something.”

Kenma spreads his arms in exasperation and then crosses them over his chest. After a pensive moment, he opens his mouth to reply, but stops. Instead he turns to Kuroo and says, “Give me your wallet. Akaashi and I need more drinks.”

Iwaizumi immediately decides he should try and get to know those two better. Wordlessly, he pulls out his wallet and hands Kenma 3000 yen. Kenma takes it, but gives him a weird look. 

“Uh, thanks?” He says before heading to the bar.

Kageyama grabs his attention next. Angrily, he bursts out,“I still don’t get why you guys won’t add crows to your cafe too!” 

Hinata crosses his arms and mirrors his dirty look. It’s not very threatening.

Kuroo gives an exaggerated, forlorn sigh. “Listen, I get you Karasuno dudes have some kind of weird crow fetish. I mean, I’ve _seen_ Sawamura’s tattoo. But like, in reality you know the birds kinda suck, right?” Across the table Bokuto nods in solemn agreement. 

Hinata screeches and goes to launch himself across the table, straight at Kuroo. As he jumps, his seat rocks dangerously and Kageyama grabs him around the waist. He violently forces an indignant Hinata back into his chair, which starts to totter. Akaashi somehow manages to shoot an arm around Bokuto and stop it with one hand, stabilizing it. The legs of the chair slam back into the wooden floor. 

“Kageyama, contain your little giant. He’s gonna get us kicked out,” Kuroo says. 

“Let’s start our own crow cafe together, Kageyama!” Hinata exclaims. He directs his fiery gaze on Kageyama, who nods vigorously. 

“Akaashi, why aren’t you that supportive of me?” Bokuto demands. He wraps an arm around the boy’s waist and pulls him closer so he can rub his nose into wavy black hair. 

“I do support you. I support your _smart_ decisions,” he replies wryly, pulling away with a grimace. 

“Akaashi thinks I’m smart!?” Bokuto exclaims. 

“Occasionally. When it’s required of you.”

Bokuto plants an affectionate kiss on his cheek that makes Akaashi look back at him, surprise fading into a soft expression. With a tiny smile, he leans over and whispers something in Bokuto’s ear. 

“Ugh, when are you two getting married already?” Kuroo says with fake disgust, just as Kenma returns with drinks. 

Akaashi blushes and ignores both Kuroo and Bokuto’s expectant gaze. He accepts his drink from Kenma and promptly changes the subject. “So, um, Oikawa, when are you coming back to Japan?”

Tooru slouches back slightly, pressing into Hajime. “Well, I’m not entirely sure. Hopefully soon? My contract was up a couple months ago. I put off renegotiating because of the Olympics. But, to be honest, I’m a little worried. I would like to come back to Japan with a team lined up, but-“ 

“Hold up!” Bokuto raises his hand and turns to Hinata. “Hinata, you gotta text our coach. You’re his favorite. Tell him Black Jackals should get first dibs on Oikawa!”

“I don’t think that’s how it works, Koutarou,” Akaashi says at the same time Hinata yelps out, “You’re a genius!"

“Wait a second,” Kageyama bursts out indignantly, trying to grab Hinata’s phone away from him as he tries to hurriedly type out a text to his coach. “If Oikawa-san is going to join any team, it should be mine!”

“Kageyama, you dumbass! If Oikawa-san is on your team how will you beat him!” Hinata says, finally wrenching his phone from the other boy’s hands. 

“None of your business! You got to play with him in Brazil. It should be my turn next. It’s only fair,” Kageyama growls out. 

“Well you got to play with him in middle school!”

“Doesn’t count,” Kageyama says with an unexpected pout.

“Why not?” Bokuto asks, confused. 

Kageyama makes brief eye contact with Hajime and Tooru, before looking away quickly. He mumbles something under his breath. 

“Uh, what?” Hinata leans in close to Kageyama. 

Kageyama goes red in the face. “Because I was a dick then, okay? Happy now?” 

Hajime feels Tooru stiffen once again. 

“All middle-schoolers are dicks. It comes with the territory,” Akaashi says with a shrug. 

“You weren’t a dick,” Hajime interjects. “If anyone was a dick, it was this dude,” he claps a hand onto Tooru’s shoulder. 

Tooru shocks him when he quietly says, “Yeah, Tobio-chan, you should listen to him.”

“It’s not important,” Kageyama says with a shrug. “What’s more important is recruiting Oikawa-san for my team.” He looks at Tooru expectantly. 

Hinata does not take this well. In seconds, he and Kageyama have devolved back to arguing over who has the bigger claim on Tooru. 

Amidst their scuffles, Hajime leans down and whispers into Tooru’s ear, “See? I told you you’d be Mr. Popular. Anyone would be stupid not to want you on their team.”

Tooru turns his head and kisses his cheek. “Right as always, Iwa-chan,” he whispers back. 

Kuroo gives Tooru a light punch to the shoulder, dragging their attention back to the group. “You got nothing to worry about, bro.” 

Kuroo jerks a thumb towards the other three pro-players: Bokuto, who has gotten up to lean over the back of Hinata’s chair to “help” him text their coach; Hinata, who is trying to text with one hand and also keep a foot planted firmly in Kageyama’s side; and Kageyama, who is wrestling with Hinata’s foot, attempting to stay in his chair, and snatch the phone, all at the same time. 

“As I was saying-” Kuroo says dramatically “-if those idiots can’t help you out, Kenma and I have got your back. Together, the two of us can be _very_ persuasive. Plus we’ve got our jobs and connections with the right people.”

Kenma pulls out his phone and starts typing out a text, saying, “It wouldn’t be too much trouble.”

Hajime watches Tooru look around the table in surprise, taking in these friends, both old and new, all willing to make an effort for him. 

“Thanks guys,” he says with a gentle smile. “Once Iwa-chan clears all the clutter from his apartment so I can move in, I’ll be sure to throw you all a big thank you party!” 

Hajime snorts, but chooses to let this one slide as he watches a real, genuine smile brighten up Tooru’s face and the worry fall from his shoulders. He leans down and gives him a quick kiss on the lips, just because he can. 

Bokuto lets out a long groan before moving to sit down next to Akaashi again. 

“Sheesh, I know we’re all in relationships, but even I can tell when the public displays of affection need to be turned down a little.” 

“You’re one to talk,” Kuroo says with a roll of his eyes, pointing at the hand Bokuto has draped over Akaashi’s shoulder, where he is playing with the fabric his short-sleeved shirt, occasionally slipping a thumb underneath to stroke Akaashi’s skin. 

“Kuroo, don’t start. You’ve been trying to play footsie with me for the past 15 minutes,” Kenma says. He keeps his eyes trained on the phone in his hands. 

“Betrayal from where I least expected it!” Kuroo cries and clutches at his heart. 

“I think you should have _most_ expected it from Kenma,” Akaashi says with a rare smirk. 

“Yeah, dude,” Bokuto says, “Kenma’s alway savage towards you.”

Kuroo groans and says, “I know, it’s so hot, right?”

“You guys are gross,” Kageyama mumbles into his drink. 

“Stop it Kuroo,” says Kenma, who is now frowning down at his game. 

“Make me, Sweetheart,” he fires back. 

“You never win when we have this argument, you know.”Kenma looks up and gives his boyfriend a flat look. 

Kuroo just waggles his eyebrows back.

Kenma leans in close to Kuroo’s face. Looking up at him from beneath his eyelashes, he says, “You should listen to me-” he pauses for a second and then whispers, “-Tetsurou.”

Kuroo’s whole body freezes. 

“Whelp, that’s the time!” he cries out. He leaps out of his chair and starts nudging Kenma, who is letting out quiet little huffs of laughter. 

“Kenma is so cute when he laughs,” Bokuto whispers loudly to Akaashi. 

Akaashi just adjusts his glasses, looks at Bokuto very seriously, and says back, “ _You’re_ cute when you laugh.”

Hajime had never seen someone manage to look delighted _and_ at risk of having a heart attack at the same time.

“Akaashi, don’t break Bokuto like that. I need my business partner alive, please,” Kuroo says. “Anyway, we really had best be going, right Kenma? It’s late. You’re tired. I’m tired. That dude over there is tired,” he jerks a thumb towards a man sitting at a the bar, who glances at their group, confused. 

“See? We’re all tired. And I’ve been neglecting my boyfriend duties. Gotta get my Kenma home. So time for some goodbye kisses,” Kuroo says jubilantly as he circles around the other side of the table to plant loud, exaggerated kisses on top of the head’s of Akaashi, Bokuto, Kageyama, and Hinata. He pauses at the other end of the table, right next to Hajime, and says to Kenma, “You good to go?”

“Sure, _Tetsurou_ ,” Kenma says. He doesn’t a very good job of restraining his huff of laughter. 

Kuroo shivers just a tiny bit and then eyes up Hajime and Tooru, before giving them the same top-of-the-head kisses he gave his other four friends. “It was good to see you guys. Let’s do this again real soon, okay? Oikawa’s treat! Bye!” He loops an arm around Kenma’s shoulders and pulls him towards the exit. 

At the exit, Kenma looks back over his shoulder and waves, still letting out little huffs of laughter. 

“Oikawa,” Kuroo hollers, “we’ll get back to you about the volleyball thing. Just give us some time.”

“Okay!” Tooru yells back, before they disappear out the door.

_______________

Hajime lets Tooru chat with the others for awhile. His boyfriend is in the middle of a conversation with Akaashi, chuckling as the other tells him about the crazy stunts authors try to get away with, when Hajime catches him trying to hide a yawn behind his hand.

“Alright, time to go, Tooru. You’re exhausted and I saw that yawn,” he says as he helps him out of his seat. 

“Iwa-chan, carry me?” 

“You’re the one with the pro-volleyball muscles. Maybe you should be carrying me for once.”

“Iwa-chan’s muscles will always be the best. No one is stronger than you,” Tooru says, taking Hajime’s hand and letting him lead him out of the bar. 

The other four follow them out. 

Outside, the city of Tokyo is still bustling with life and noise and lights. Tooru tiredly rests his head on Hajime’s shoulder, waving to Bokuto as Akaashi starts his car and pulls away, disappearing easily into the Tokyo traffic. 

“Oikawa-san, we should meet up for lunch whenever you’re free in the next couple days,” Hinata says. 

“Shouyou, so thoughtful! Just text me and we’ll figure it out,” Tooru replies. 

As they part, Hajime can hear Kageyama mutter in complete confusion, “I still can’t believe you just let him call you ‘Shouyou.’” 

Tooru snorts as they hear Hinata laugh and say, “Silly Kageyama, you can call me Shouyou too if you want!”

Kageyama’s flustered squawks fade as they round a corner and Hajime pulls out his phone to request a car. He wants to tuck Tooru into bed and curl up next to him as soon as possible. 

“Even I have to admit those two are cute,” Tooru says as Hajime taps at his phone. 

He finishes getting their ride and looks back at Tooru. The bright city lights make his face glow and Hajime watches exhaustion finally settle into his shoulders. It makes him want to protect him, build him a safe haven. 

Instead, he pulls the other in close, says, “Not as cute as you!” and blows a raspberry into his cheek. 

“Ah! Iwa-chan! You bastard!” Tooru yelps ducking away from a laughing Hajime. 

“C’mon, shit-muncher. I want to get in bed so I can cuddle the fuck outta you,” he says.

“You always say the nicest things,” Tooru snorts, but lets Hajime lace their fingers together and tug him along.

_______________

It’s quiet and comfortable back in Hajime’s room, tucked in bed with nothing but their boxers on, the smell of a freshly showered Tooru slowly lulling him to sleep. Hajime nuzzles into his damp hair. 

The waning crescent moon, just the smallest of white slivers, offers little light from beyond the open curtains of the balcony. But even in the dark, Hajime can still make out the brown of Tooru’s eyes, watching the dark sky. 

“There’ll be a new moon soon. This one’s almost disappeared,” Tooru tells him softly.

Hajime brushes damp strands of hair from his forehead. 

“I’ll take you into the country so you can enjoy it properly, with clear skies, no city lights,” he says. 

Tooru shifts slightly, just enough to place a kiss on his chest before settling to observe the moon again. After a moment, he whispers, “You said we’d figure this out, this future, our future.”

“I meant it,” Hajime insists in a murmur. “I’d choose a wild, risky, uncertain future with you before an easy future with anyone else. There’s no one out there quite like you, Tooru. You’re irreplaceable. Staying with you is my number one priority.”

Tooru kisses his chest again and says, “I’m lucky to have you. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to make you understand how many times you’ve kept me going, moving forward.”

Hajime tightens his hold on Tooru, thinking again about the safe haven he wishes he could build for him, for them.

With a small, wistful smile on his face, Tooru continues, “Remember when I was terrified back in high school, third year I think, that you were gonna quit volleyball to join the track team? All because their captain had a crush on you?”

“How could I forget,” Hajime says with a snort. “What’s-his-name, Ryusei, the dumbass captain. He never had a chance, all because of that time he pushed you off the swings in elementary school and broke your model spaceship.” Hajime smiles as he starts tracing idle, lazy swirls onto Tooru’s back with his finger. 

“So _that’s_ why you never wanted to partner with the track team for school events. I never knew.”

Hajime can sense there’s something more he wants to say, so he waits. 

Tooru shifts his eyes from the moon. They land on Hajime’s chest, watching it rise and fall.

“I worry too much, I know that. But I don’t know how to stop. I wish I could. It just makes trouble for me and everyone else in my life,” Tooru says wearily.“I worry about whether or not the people in my life actually want me around. I worry that I’m not good enough at volleyball. I worry that I’m a neglectful boyfriend. So many stupid, stupid things. And I know they aren’t true. I’ve even had you tell me they aren’t true.”

Tooru sighs and continues, “So much pointless anxiety. It’s exhausting. I’m even worrying right now about trying to come back to Japan while not having a Japanese citizenship. It’s constant, Hajime.”

“You think yourself into spirals,” Hajime says sadly. 

“I always seem to do better when I’ve got you around.” Tooru’s voice is slightly hopeful. 

“Why?” asks Hajime.

“Because you’ve never once left me. You’re my rock. And as much as I hate to say it, you’re pretty smart. The things you tell me make sense, even to my overthinking brain.”

“I’m not gonna leave you. I already told you, I’m here to remind you every day that you’re enough,” Hajime says, quiet but fierce. 

“I know,” Tooru says, looking up with an affectionate smile. “Because that what Iwa-chan has always done.” He presses another kiss into his skin.

Threading a hand through soft, brown hair, Hajime says, “And if you’re worried about your citizenship or finding a team in Japan, don’t be. We’ll figure something out. You’ve got people to help you. You’ve got lots of options. And if things don’t pan out the way we want them to, well I’ve also got my way.” 

“Your way?”

Hajime nods and thinks of “his way,” hidden back in his apartment in a shoe box shoved into the back of his cluttered closet. The shoe box is full of old bank statements and receipts and other papers that Tooru would decide are too boring to sift through. And underneath all those papers, wrapped in a pair of Hajime’s old socks, to add a little extra security because Oikawa Tooru is notoriously nosy, sits a little velvet box with a gold ring inside.

“We’ll figure it out,” he repeats. “I’m always right, remember?”

Something shifts in Tooru’s eyes then, as he watches Hajime talk. He seems more confident all of a sudden. Hajime can’t tell if his genius boyfriend figured him out already or if he just trusts him implicitly. 

“Okay Iwa-chan, let’s figure this out, together. But just so you know, I can be strong for you too, when you need me to be. I don’t want this to just be you supporting me all the time. I want to be Iwa-chan’s rock too.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about. You’ve always been my rock, but you’ve grown into so much more. You’re my mountain, my castle, my armor.”

Tooru grins and says, “My sexy, knight-in-shining-armor Iwa-chan! Coming in a blaze of glory to slay the dragon and rescue me from my tower! Save me Iwa-chan!”

Hajime snorts and ruffles his hair fondly, then pushes it all out of his face so he can see Tooru’s forehead. 

“Ha! You’d be pissed if I just showed up and slayed the dragon! You’d be so mad you didn’t get to kill it first. In fact, you’d probably just go out and convince another dragon to kidnap you, just so you can have another chance to fight one!”

Tooru laughs, bright and clear. Hajime likes the way his nose scrunches up when he snorts like that. 

“Probably, but I’d take you with me as backup since you did such a good job killing the first one. We would travel and fight dragons together, forever.”

“Sounds like a good future to me,” Hajime says with a grin. 

“Sounds perfect,” Tooru agrees with a happy, tired sigh, eyes finally fluttering shut.

Hajime watches him fall asleep until his own exhaustion causes his eyes grow heavy. 

Outside the sliver of moon continues its slow trek across the sky. Tomorrow a new moon will take its place. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


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